Only once in the history of human consciousness, says Osho,has a thing like Zen come into being. In Zen: Its History andTeachings, the noted mystic explains that Zen has no rituals,no chanting, no mantras, no *ures — only short, evocativeparables and teachings that make it ideal for the modern seeker.Using his characteristic humorous, encouraging style, Osho guidesreaders through the origins and development of this seminalspiritual tradition that is neither religion nor dogma nor creed.He provides a context for those who have not been born into the Zentradition, introducing them to its timeless approach to existence.The book argues that the only preparation for fully experiencingZen's power is meditative awareness, and Osho presents simpletechniques to achieve this awareness. Stunning color photographsthroughout offer further inspiration and illumination.

From distinguished moral philosopher Martha Nussbaum, this isa historical and conceptual study of the American tradition ofreligious freedom. In one of greatest triumphs of the colonial andRevolutionary periods, the founders of the future United Statesovercame religious intolerance in favour of a constitutional orderdedicated to fair treatment for people's deeply held conscientiousbeliefs. It granted equal liberty of conscience to all and took afirm stand against religious establishment. This respect forreligious difference, argues Martha Nussbaum, is the basis fordemocracy in America. Yet today there signs that this legacy ismisunderstood. The prominence of a particular type of Christianityin America's public life suggests the unequal worth of citizens whohold different religious beliefs or no beliefs. Other people,meanwhile, seek to curtail the influence of religion in public lifein a way that is itself unbalanced and unfair. Such partisanefforts, argues Nussbaum, violate the spirit of the AmericanCo

Scattered over much of the world throughout most of theirhistory, are the Jews one people or many? How do they resemble andhow do they differ from Jews in other places and times? What havetheir relationships been to the cultures of their neighbors? Toaddress these and similar questions, some of the finest scholars ofour day have contributed their insights to Cultures of the Jews, awinner of the National Jewish Book Award upon its hardcoverpublication in 2002. Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifacts thatwere created in the period and locale under study, the contributorsdescribe the cultural interactions among different Jews–from rabbisand scholars to non-elite groups, including women–as well asbetween Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. What theyconclude is that although Jews have always had their own autonomoustraditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered the fixed productof either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it hasshifted and assumed new forms

The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish SavedCivilization has done it again. In The Gifts of the Jews ThomasCahill takes us on another enchanting journey into history, onceagain recreating a time when the actions of a small band of peoplehad repercussions that are still felt today. The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that madewestern civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancientreligions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endlesscycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinningceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see timedifferently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was anarrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future.From this insight came a new conception of men and women asindividuals with unique destinies--a conception that would informthe Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progressand the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. As ThomasCahill narrates this momentous shift,

Here is the unparalleled account of the most awesome and awfulchapter in the moral history of humanity. Lucid, chilling andcomprehensive, Lucy S. Dawidowicz’s classic tells the completestory of the Nazi Holocaust–from the insidious evolution of GermanAnti-Semitism to the ultimate tragedy of the Final Solution.

A radical and powerful reappraisal of the impact ofConstantine’s adoption of Christianity on the later Roman world,and on the subsequent development both of Christianity and ofWestern civilization. When the Emperor Contstantine converted to Christianity in 368AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continueto have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects ofthe religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a coursefrom the relatively open, tolerant and pluralistic civilization ofthe Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the ruleof fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings ofPtolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Onlya thousand years later, with the advent of the Renaissance and theemergence of modern science, did Europe begin to free itself fromthe effects of Constantine's decision, yet the effects of hisestablishment of Christianity as a state religion remain with us,in many respects, today. Bri

No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstoodas Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faiththat promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, femaleoppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow viewof Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing aboutthe subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that theworld’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenonthan its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest.

In his brilliant long-awaited new book, Dr Brian Weiss revealshow our future lives can transform us in the present. We have alllived past lives. All of us will live future ones. What we do inthis life will influence our lives to come as we evolve towardsimmortality. In this new book, the bestselling author of ManyLives, Many Masters, has not only regressed his patients into thepast, but also progressed them into the future. He has discoveredthat our futures are variable - the choices we make now willdetermine the quality of our life when we return. For the firsttime, Dr Brian Weiss takes patients into the future in aresponsible, healing way. Using dozens of case histories, Dr Weissdemonstrates the therapeutic benefits of progression therapy tobring patients more peace, joy and healing, just as he has shownthat journeys into our past lives can cure physical or emotionalwounds in the present.

In the same engaging style that has endeared him to readers ofhis bestselling Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratanadelves deeply into each step of the Buddha's most profound teachingon bringing an end to suffering: the noble eightfold path. Withgenerous and specific advice, Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness — aForeword magazine Book of the Year Awards finalist — offersskillful ways to handle anger, find right livelihood, and cultivateloving-friendliness in relationships with parents, children, andpartners. It also offers tools to overcome all the mentalhindrances that prevent happiness. Whether you are an experiencedmeditator or someone who's only just beginning to practicemindfulness, this gentle and down-to-earth guide will help youbring the heart of the Buddha's teachings into every aspect of yourlife.

Colorstrology is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology,and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our livesand relationships. Written by renowned astrologer Michele Bernhardtwith the artists at Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color,the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who weare and how we behave. For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) sharethe color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and"born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them]in front of an audience." People born on May 11 (like Salvador Dal) share the color Green Tea. They "have a vivid imagination and cansee new ideas and concepts more readily than others." Using Colorstrology, you'll quickly understand how to enhanceyour best personality traits with your birthday color. Thisfull-color book features detailed profiles of everyone you knowplus 366 perforated swatches so you can take your birthday colorwherever you go. PANTONE

The late author Arysio Santos was a highly regardedclimatologist, geologist, and nuclear physicist. He was also ascholar of history, folklore, languages, and the occult. In thisgroundbreaking study of Atlantis, he draws on all thesedisciplines, as well as ancient maps, Plato’s dialogues, andfolkloric narratives, to provide the most compelling case yet ofthe disappearance of an entire civilization. Professor Santos demonstrates that Plato’s dating of Atlantis’sdisappearance in 11,600 BP (before present) precisely correspondsto the catastrophic end of the Pleistocene Ice Age, as well as ahistoric flood event of cataclysmic proportions. The rising of thesea level by nearly 500 feet, he argues, submerged continent-sizedlands—including Atlantis, which he connects with the biblicalGarden of Eden. Provocative chapters cover such topics as thecontinent’s appearance in ancient maps, Indonesia as the true siteof Eden, American interpretations of Atlantis, the four rivers ofparadise, and more, giv

Every meditation tradition explains that there are two aspectsto any effective meditation practice: insight and concentration. InMindfulness in Plain English, author Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, amonk from Sri Lanka and venerated teacher of Buddhism, offeredbasic instruction on the meaning of insight (or vipassana)meditation through concepts that could be applied to any tradition.In Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English, he presents the levels ofconcentration with the same simplicity and humor that made theprevious book so successful. The focus here is on the Jhanas, thosemeditative states of profound stillness and concentration in whichthe mind becomes fully immersed and absorbed in the chosen objectof attention. Using the Jhanas to guide readers along the path tojoy, happiness, equanimity, and one-pointedness, the authorprovides all of the instruction necessary to utilize meditation asa tool for building a more fulfilling life

Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesusis like watching television with the sound turned off. The resultis a dry, two dimensional person doing strange, undecipherablethings. In BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW, John Eldredge removes the religious varnishto help readers discover stunning new insights into the humanity ofJesus. He was accused of breaking the law, keeping bad company,heavy drinking. Of being the devil himself. He was so compellingand dangerous they had to kill him. But others loved himpassionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity wasscandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He'd say the mostoutrageous things. He was definitely not the Jesus of the stainedglass. In the author's winsome, narrative approach, he breaks Jesus outof the typical stereotypes, just as he set masculinity free in hisbook, Wild at Heart. By uncovering the real Jesus, readers arewelcomed into the rich emotional life of Christ. All of theremarkable qualities of Jesus burst like fireworks with